At the end of the Stronger Than Achilles quest, Coen and Anca reach the Font of Life deep inside the ancient ruins, and only one of them can drink from it. The moment forces a single decision with no second attempt, so it helps to know exactly what each path gives you before you commit.
Quick answer: Let Coen drink to unlock the Font of Life perk and gain passive daytime health regeneration. Give it to Anca to remove her witch “sins” (she loses her magic and stays in the village). Destroy the Font to receive the Ancient Greaves instead.
The three Font of Life choices compared
Each option locks out the other two. There is no “best” answer from a story standpoint since Anca accepts whatever reasoning Coen gives, so the choice comes down to whether you want the gameplay perk, an armor piece, or the outcome for Anca.
| Choice | Reward | Effect on Anca |
|---|---|---|
| Coen drinks | Font of Life perk (Witchcraft tree); passive HP regen as a human during the day | Stays a witch; unsure about the relationship; leaves the village in the epilogue to seek another cure |
| Anca drinks | No perk (Font of Life is locked out permanently) | Loses her witch abilities and her “sins”; happy and hopeful; stays in the village in the epilogue |
| Destroy the Font | Ancient Greaves (no perk for either) | Accepts the decision; no perk gained |
If Coen drinks from the Font of Life
This is the only choice that gives you the Font of Life perk in the Witchcraft skill tree. Coen regenerates human health passively during the day, which helps sustain him through longer daytime fights where he can’t rely on his vampire abilities. It also cuts down on the healing consumables you need to carry.
Story-wise, Anca is fine with Coen taking it because she is disturbed by the ritual behind the Font and understands he needs the edge for his fight. You can still be intimate with her after the quest, but she seems uncertain about where the relationship is going. She remains a witch, and in the epilogue she leaves the village to keep searching for a way to lift her curse.
If Anca drinks from the Font of Life
Handing the Font to Anca removes her “sins” and strips away her witch abilities. She feels more powerful and describes her old life and magic as a bad dream, thanking Coen for giving up the chance so she can erase her past.
Choosing this permanently locks you out of the Font of Life perk. In return, Anca is more enthusiastic about the relationship and open to a future together, and she decides to stay in the village in the epilogue.
If you destroy the Font for the Ancient Greaves
Destroying the Font gives neither character its power and instead awards the Ancient Greaves. Completing the mission already grants a legendary light chestpiece, Runic Enchantment, so destroying the Font is worth considering if you are chasing a full legendary set early and don’t need the regeneration perk. The health regen is generally the stronger long-term reward, but this path is a valid alternative if armor matters more to your build.
Where the Font of Life comes from
The Font’s source is warriors’ blood. Contestants who die during the ruins’ trials are taken away, drained of their blood, and turned into the guardians you fight along the way. That blood is collected and a dark ritual makes it potent, forming the Font of Life. Anca is shaken once she learns this, which is why she hesitates over whether to use it.
How to reach the choice
The decision sits at the end of a two-part quest chain that opens after you finish the convent questline with Anca.
Note: The Font decision does not change whether the romance scene at the inn happens after the quest. Only Anca’s outlook shifts, so pick based on whether you value the health regen perk, the armor, or Anca’s ending.
